Valve recording and indicating device.



VALVE RECORDNG AND HIDCATHIG EVE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED MAR. 13, M308.

a@ f/g w have invented certainl.{ne w and useful Imi specification, reference being had therein to UNITED sTATEs HARRISON C. HOWARD, OF CONIMIOUT, RHODE ISLAND.

VALVE RECORDING- AND INDICATING DEVICE.

Application filed March 13,

To allavlwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON C. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oonimicut, in the townof lVarwick, in--the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, l

provements in Valve Recording a1idIndica't--v mg Devices, of wlncln the following is a the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to recording and indicating devices for valves, and has for its object to provide a simple, positive and effective means for indicating whether 'the valve is open or closed, and also to record the time of movement and amount of opening through the valve.

This device may be used in connection with any valve but is designed more particularly for use on valves in a sprinkler system for fire protection.

It is found in practicethat the valves in .the water supply service often become closed, sometimes by accident or carelessness, and sometimes by design, rendering the sprinkler system useless and the fact is not discovered until after a tire has destroyed the building. To avoid any possibility of such an accident happening, without the knowledge of the authorities, I have provided an annunciator to be electrically con-k nected to operate in the superintendents oiiice, or other distant locality, to indicate whether the supply valve is open or closed, anda recording device is also provided and located comparatively close to the valve to record the time and amount of movement, and `also to show the amount of`opcning through the valve.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully dcscribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view illustrating a valve connected by a flexible shaft to a recoi-ding device and an annunciator connected to said recording device. Fig. 2 is an enlargcd elevationv 'showing the casing in section, illustrating the operating mechanism for the recording device, showing the pen in position to indicate open. Fig. 3-.1sa detail view showing the recording pen in the act of moving inward from the open to f Specification of Letters Patent.

the closed position and completing an elec-l vPatented Sept. 29, 1908. 1908. Serial Ifo. 420,762.

tric circuit to move the pointer of the` anl vluinlciator from the open to the closed position. Fig. 4- is a sectionlon line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow, .showing the-,spiral for taking up thelost .motion in the flexible shaft.

Y Referring to the drawings, at 1 is the valve which may be located in the main service pipe 2, or at any convenient place, and extending upward from the top cap of this valve is the frame v3 through Which the valve actuating spindle 4 asses, the same being operated by means of the hand wheel 5.v On this spindle 4 is located a gear 6 which meshes into a pinion 7, the latter being held to turn .the pin 8 which receives its bearing in the bracket 9 attached to the framework 3.

At 10 is the'casing of the recording device which( may be made in an desired form. The recorder is constructed 1n the usual way and consists essentially of a plate 11 mounted on the center pin 12 arranged to be rotated by a suitable clock mechanism, not shown. On this plate is mounted a disk of paper 12t1 lined of to indicate the twentyfour hours of the day, and marked to indi-A cate closed at its center portion and open at its periphery. An arm' 13 is provided having a pen 13a at its upper end, said arm being pivotally mounted at its lower end on the pin 14 (see Fig. 2) and has an outwardly extending arm 15 on the outer surface olfwhi'ch is formed a segment 16,l the teeth of which mesh with the threaded portion 17 on the shaft 18, said shaft being provided (with bearings at 19 and 20, above and below its threaded portion. 'The lower end of this shaft is connected to the pinion pin 8 on the valve 1 by means of the flexible shaft 21, whereby any movement of the valve stem 4 is communicated to rotate this shaft 18 and actuate the pen point 13a across the face of the dial to indicate the position or opening through said valve.

The fact that this recorder is connected` which may be electrically connected and` located at any desired distance away. This il annunciator may be made in any desired or l convenient form, but I have shown .a simple construction provided with a pointer 37 mounted with anl armature 38-to'oscilla'te on a pivot 39, thesame being actuated by means of electro-magnets 40' and 4l so that the pointer 37 will always indicate either-open or closed. This annunciator is electrically connected to the indicating apparatus by means ofthe wires 35 and 35 and may be located in the superintendents office, or at any other convenient point, to indicate when the valve'is opened or closed. ln carrying 1b out this portion of the invention have provided a dog 22 of insulating material pivoted at 23 and normally held in a horizontal position by the tension of the spring 24 pressing against its lat side 25. Contract. strips 2G and 27 are secured to the upper and lwer edges of this dog, said strips being connected by the Wires 2S and 29 to their respective binding posts-BO and 3l, binding post serving orthe common return wire 33.

At 34 is a pin secured,to the segment 16, which engages the contact strip 26 when the pen is carried towards the center or closed position, completing the circuit through the wires 29 and 35, energizing the inagnet`4() `which in turn attractsythe armature' 3S and pulls the v'pointer over to Iindicate .that the valve is closed.l While thisunaynot be ex`ly actly the case, yet it indicates that the valve is not open as it s hould be an'd therefore'y re- 30 quires attention. Asl the pen goes toyirards the center or closed position of the dial this pin 34 engages and tips dawn, the dg22, see Fig.- 3, and passes beneath it, the. annunciator showing closed t-lii'johghout thish infx 35 ward stroke. Then whenthe valve iifs i eally being opened, the pen'starts from its' closed position and` Works 'outward/ Thecontact pin will not be brought into connection with the contact strip .27 until said pen is nearly to 140 its out or open position when this pin will engage the contact strip 27, complete the cir cuit to magnet 48 and draw the pointer-to" ,the open position, afterwhich t-he dog is v tripped up 'to allow' the'pin to pass into the 5' position. illustrated in Fig. 2.

c Another feature of m invention is the employment of a spiralfspringv 42, one end ofr `whicli is fast at 43 to the case, While lthe op pOsite end is fast to the shaft 18. .This

50 spring is adapted to serve a, double purpose, first to act upon the iiexible shaft to take up 'anyback-lash or lost motion in the same and' cause thev pen 13a togindicate accurately the positionof the valve, and the second function of this spring is, in case the flexibleV shaft should become broken or out of order,E when the pen is pointing tn the open posi-.

f tion, `'this spring will at once act upon the shaft'l' and cause the pin v34 to engage the 6e contact strip 26 and move the annunciator t`o`indicate that the valve is' closedcausing an investigation, when repairs Will at once be made. My improved device is of simple'and prac- Ion the market or already installed.

Having thus described iny'invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a device. of the character described, the combination of a valve, said valve being adapted to be manually operated, a recording device located at a' distance from the val ve, and means operatively connecting said valve with said recorder whereby the opening and closing of the Valve will operate the recorder to indicate the extent of opening through said "valve 2. ln a device of the character described, the combination of a valve, a recording device located at a distance from the Valve 'and a iiexible shaft connecting said valve with ing of the latter will operate the former to valve.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a valve, a recording device locatedat a distance from the valve, `a lflexible shaft connecting said valve with said 'recorder whereby the opening and closingdof the latter will operate the former to indicate the extent of opening througl'i the valve; and meansD for taking up the lost motion of said 4. In a device ofthe `character described', the combination Aof a valve, a recording deF vice located at a distance from the valve'and y inflexible shaft connecting said valve with s'aid recorder whereby the opening and closindicate the extent of opening through the valve, and an annunciator controlled in its action by th'e' operation yof said recording device. i

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a valve, a recording device located at..a distance from the valve means connecting said valve with said recorder whereby the opening and closing` of the latter will operate the formerto/indicate the extent of opening through the Valve; and means controlled by the operation of the recel-"ding device to indicate closed if the inotion transmitting connection to Vthe valve should be 'brokei the combination of a valve, a recording device located at a distance from the valve and aiexible shaft connecting said valve With said recorder whereby the opening and closvalve, anannunciator controlledin its action by the operation ofsaid recording device,

Aof said shaft, said spring being also adapted i ,es 'tical' eons'truetign and very .edective in its t'. in a device of the character described;

operation and may be applied to any valve indicate the extent of opening through the` ingof the latter will operate the former to indicate the extent of opening through the anda spring for taliingv up the lost motion ,to move the annunciator to indicate closed.. 'I1 "180,

said recorder whereby the opening and closino ing of the latter will operate thei'oriner to 6. In a device of the character' described,

eee/233 the combination of a valve,.a recording device having a rotatable dial7 a recording pen,

ay flexible shaft connecting said valve withy Asaid recording device whereby the opening and closing' or' the valve willi-mover the pen over the dial to indicate the extent of opening through said valve, an annunciator electrically connected to said recording device and controlled in its action hy the movement of said pen.

8. In a device of the chziracter described,

, the combination olE a valve, a recording device having' a rotatable dial, a recording pen,

,the4 closed posinon il .said shaft should heeome broken.

9. ln a device ofthe character described, the combination ol' a valve, a recordingl device having a rotatable dial7 ay recording lpen,

a toothed segment for operating Said pen, a threaded shaft engaging said segment and a flexible shaft connectingv Said valve with Said threaded shaft whereby the opening and closing` of the valve will operate Said threaded shaft to more the pen over the dial to indicate jdie extent ot opening through said valve. v

10. In a device of the cllaracter descrilied, the combination of a valve, a recording device having a dial, a recordingpen, a toothed segment for operating` said pen, a threaded shaft, engaginrc` said segment and a flexible shaft connecting Said valve with Said threaded Shaft whereby the opening and closing of the valve will operate said threaded shaft to niove the pen over the dial to indicate the cxtentof opening through said valve7 and an electrically operated annunciator controlled in its action by the movement of Said pen.

In testimonyv whereof l aHiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Hfiinneon c. HOWARD.

llf'itnessee llo y:inn E. BAnLow, E. l. DUDEN. 

